Lot
27 
[Indians] "Fort Crawford, Prairie Du Chine, 4th Jany. 1822", datelined folded letter with "Public Service, George Gooding" free frank, probably carried by military courier from Fort Crawford to St. Louis, entered mails 49 days after written with red "St. Louis Mo. Feb 22" cds and manuscript "Free" rating to J.C. Calhoun, Secretary of War in Washington D.C., letter states: "Your letter of June 15th 1821, appoint me Sutler for the Post of Prairie du Chiene I this day received. I had been previously informed that such an appointment was made out for me, by Lieut. Kirbee, Actg. Adjt. General, and reported to him my acceptance of the same, and in person to Capt. John Fowle, Commanding, at Prairie du Chiene in the month of September last."; fold splitting, F.-V.F. Estimate $150 - 200.
Following the War of 1812, the U.S. Army returned to Prairie de Chien, which had been occupied by the British. In June 1816, a new fort named Fort Crawford was built over the ruins of the British fort, destroyed by them before leaving the area. It was named for William H. Crawford, James Madison's Secretary of War. The fort was part of the Indian factory system and was used also to keep the peace between white settlers and the local Native American tribes. Lt. Col. Henry Leavenworth was among the early commanders of the fort. One of the largest councils in U.S. history was held at the fort in 1825, when over 5,000 representatives from nearly a dozen Native American nations gathered to discuss and sign the first Treaty of Prairie du Chien. Fort Crawford was abandoned in 1826 after a major flood of the Mississippi River swamped it. The garrison was transferred to Fort Snelling. The fort was rebuilt with stone on a higher site in 1829-35.
Realized: $220